Cargo spacecraft successfully docks with CSS
Beijing, April 20 (UNI/Sputnik) Chinese cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 has successfully docked with the country’s Tiangong space station, China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Wednesday.
Tianzhou-3 has been on the station since September 21 of last year, when it delivered food, equipment and water, as well as New Year’s gifts and skin care for female cosmonauts, into orbit for the crew of Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft, which returned to Earth last week after a six-month mission.
“At 5:02 local time on April 20 [21:02 GMT, April 19], the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft separated from the rear port of the station’s Tianhe core module, flew around to the front port and completed the automatic rendezvous and docking at 9:06 local time,” the CMSA said in a statement.
Both Tianhe and Tianzhou-3 are in good condition, ready to dock with the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft, the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft and the Wentian laboratory cabin module, the agency said.
China has been actively developing its national space program in recent years. On April 29, the country began the construction of the multi-module Tiangong orbital station and successfully launched the Tianhe core module. Construction works are scheduled to end by the end of 2022.
The station will also include two additional laboratory modules, Wentian and Mengtian, which are expected to be launched this year. In addition, the autonomous survey space telescope Xuntian is planned for launch in 2023, which will allow for periodic docking with the station. The station can simultaneously accommodate three cosmonauts or six people during a crew change.
The Tianhe core module is the largest spacecraft ever built in China, providing living quarters, navigation and controls of the station. The main module is equipped with two docking ports for laboratory modules and three other docking ports for manned and cargo spacecraft. Living space is provided in experimental modules as well, bringing its total area to about 110 cubic meters.
UNI/SPUTNIK GNK
Source: https://www.uniindia.com/story/Cargo-spacecraft-successfully-docks-with-CSS